REPORT: U21S SLIP TO FOREST DEFEAT

REPORT: U21S SLIP TO FOREST DEFEAT

United youngsters suffer 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest...

Two second-half goals condemned our Under-21s to a 2-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Monday afternoon.

Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel opened the scoring after 56 minutes, forcing James Thorne's cross over the line from close-range, before Jack Kelly sealed the three points 13 minutes from time as his inswinging corner somehow found its way into the net.

The Leeds youngsters were made to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men after defender Jake Skelton was shown a straight red card for a mis-timed challenge inside the Forest half, but the game was beyond their reach by that point.

Paul Hart, returning to the club where he previously spent time as a player, manager and youth coach, included first-team pair Sam Byram and Lee Erwin in his starting line-up.

Forest were first to threaten on a bitterly cold afternoon as former Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams forced Bailey Peacock-Farrell into tipping his first-time effort over the bar.

United came close through Frank Mulhern, firing wide from 25 yards out after creating space for himself, before Eoghan Stokes curled over the bar in a largely encouraging start for Hart's side.

The best chance of the first half fell to Mulhern after 25 minutes, but the striker blazed over after being teed up unselfishly on the edge of the area by Souleymane Doukara.

Captain Lewie Coyle and then Erwin both saw efforts fly over the bar as United enjoyed the better of a goalless opening 45 minutes.

But it was the visitors, Forest, who managed to break the deadlock within 11 minutes of the restart.

Thorne worked his way down the left and his low delivery appeared to be heading towards the bottom corner, but Lawrence-Gabriel made sure with the final touch to open the scoring.

It could have been 2-0 within a matter of seconds, but Jorge Grant saw his lob bounce back off the post after racing into a long ball over the top.

Leeds looked to respond and Coyle dragged a low effort wide before Erwin's strike was blocked on the corner of the area.

The slightest of deflections then diverted Byram's 20-yard attempt narrowly over the crossbar, but Forest soon had the game wrapped up as Kelly's corner sailed in.

Skelton saw red four minutes later for a lunge on a Forest attacker to cap a frustrating afternoon for Leeds but one which was not without its positives.

Hart said: "I was quite pleased with the performance overall.

"I thought we conceded two poor goals but we played some good football.

"We worked really hard and threatened an awful lot without really delivering at the end of it. We had two or three chances that we should have tucked away."

Under-21s team vs Forest: Peacock-Farrell, Byram, Vann, Skelton, Denton, Coyle, Purver, Stokes, Mulhern, Erwin, Doukara (McDaid 79). Subs not used: Grimes, Lyman, Walters, Parkin.
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